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This 17 Y.O. Boy Scout Built A Nuclear Reactor In His Mom’s Backyard 20 Years Ago That Made The Neighborhood Radioactive

If you think that boy scouts only occupy themselves by tying knots, carving wooden figurines and collecting various achievement patches to add on to their vests, then this true story of a boy scout turned into nuclear scientist will blow you away.

The story of David Charles Hahn (1976-2016) is not an ordinary one. The boy, since his early years, was always fascinated with chemistry and science and conducted numerous chemistry projects just for fun. However, no one really expected that one day he would actually build a fully functioning nuclear reactor in his own backyard as a result of one of his science projects.

Back in 1994, in a shed next to his mother’s house, the then 17-year-old David Hahn made a nuclear reactor from batteries, old clocks, lanterns, uranium from Czechoslovakia and duct tape. The science experiment attracted media attention and David was named the ‘Radioactive boy scout.’ Scroll down to read the full incredible story of David Hahn, which was shared by one internet user.